Academy of musical performance

What skills should I know before participating in AMP?   

Though playing in a band is a challenge if you don't know the basics of your instrument, you don't need to be a musical genius to play in a band or participate in AMP!  Here are skills that are good to know (but not necessary) before you audition for AMP:   

· How to Play Your Instrument   

AMP does provide a music lessons program for individual instrument instruction but with our Fall session we are focused on the skills needed to play music with other people.  For this reason, musicians coming into AMP need to have some amount of experience on the instrument they wish to participate on.  It doesn't need to be a lot, just enough to communicate with other people!   

· Note Names on your Instrument   

At AMP, we learn music by ear and through charts. You do not need to be able to read music to participate in AMP (though we recommend it regardless!)  In order to effectively communicate with your bandmates, you should be able to identify notes and chords on your instrument with relative ease (eg. "play an Bmin chord, play an F#")   

· Ear Training   

Being able to identify a pitch on your instrument/voice when someone sings or plays you a pitch is an important skill when learning contemporary music styles. It is not necessary for you to have perfect pitch, but it is worth practicing being able to find notes on your instrument through listening, rather than reading. Here is a free resource to practice ear training if you are interested.   

· Multi-Instrumentalism   

AMP is all about ways to communicate with others, and a great way to communicate with your bandmates is through understanding their instruments. You will have opportunities at AMP to explore other instruments, but being able to play multiple roles in a band is a useful skill and helps AMP have more flexibility with who we accept. Particularly with vocalists - if you are able to participate in a band in a way other than just vocals (eg. keyboards, guitar, ukelele, percussion like tambourine or shaker, etc), your chances of being accepted into AMP are much higher!